BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THE U.S. PROMOTE CROSS-BORDER MEDICAL TOURISM

With the aim of promoting cross-border medical tourism, Mexican state Baja California and the United States carry out joint project due to the impact that this sector has had in both countries.

The president of the Baja Health Cluster, Ricardo Vega Montiel, said that Baja California is the region where more bariatric surgeries are performed and the highest rates worldwide in plastic surgery, ophthalmology, dental services and oncology.

"We continue to look for platforms to systematize the patient's experience when they cross the border into Tijuana and return to the United States, especially in the face of the changes that are expected with the regeneration of the North American Free Trade Agreement," he said.

He pointed out that health and wellbeing tourism is an economic item of great importance, both at a regional and national level, because all over the world the countries that are managing this type of economy in the health sector have a direct inflow of resources.

"One of the main objectives of the Baja Health Cluster is to consolidate the region as a provider of medical tourism for countries such as the United States and Canada to know the quality of academic training in the country's health services sector," he said.

He mentioned that the end of 2017 had an increase of two percent in the tourism and medical tourism sector in Baja California according to figures from Cotuco and that by 2018 they contemplate projects with the neighboring northern country that will benefit both nations. "We are working joint strategies with Tucson to make the first concept of linked cities in health, doctors from the United States approached us because they are interested in our alliance regarding patients, their orientation and insurance in cardiovascular surgery," he said.